


Tour of Jorvik

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 21:17:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10862277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: You take Justin on a tour of Jorvik to help him settle back in and show him everything that's changed since he's been gone.





	Tour of Jorvik

You are at the Sunfield farm, chasing Filip’s hens (again) when you get the phone call. You immediately stop upon seeing the name of the caller, and answer your phone, hoping that you don’t sound too breathless.

“Hey, Thomas, what’s up? Is it Justin?” you ask, looking away from the naughty chickens so you don’t distract yourself with them.

“Yes, actually,” says Thomas. “Can you come to Moorland Stables, please? I’d rather not discuss this over the phone.”

“Okay,” you say, your heart racing in worry now instead of exertion. Justin didn’t look good last time you saw him. Maybe… you try not to think about why Thomas sounded so worried, and instead tell Filip that you have to go and to catch the chickens himself before you climb back into your saddle and ride back over to the ferry docks.

At Fort Pinta, you decide to take the trailer to Moorland, not wanting to waste any time. As soon as you lead your horse out of it, Thomas is there, looking older and more concerned than he should. He has been through too much. So has Justin.

“Is he okay?” you ask. “Where is he?”

“Over there,” says Thomas, pointing to the fence of the riding paddock where the Bobcats usually train. Loretta is, mercifully, absent. You thank Thomas and then walk over to Justin, who is leaning against the fence with his arms hooked over it and looking out into the distance. You follow his line of sight, and see Epona.

“Everything’s changed and it’s so confusing,” says Justin. “I wasn’t gone that long, was I?”

“I know,” you say. “Even the stables looked different when you first… went away.”

“What else has changed?” asks Justin. “The fishing village didn’t look very different, but Fort Pinta looked different. Not that I saw much of it.”

“I know,” you say. “I’m surprised you didn’t just collapse like a sack of potatoes.”

“I slept like a rock that night,” says Justin. You smile at him.

“Want me to show you what else has changed?” you ask. “I can show you the areas that opened up, and the places that got makeovers.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful, but…” Justin trails off sadly.

“You can sit behind me on my horse if you want,” you say. “If you don’t want to borrow another horse.”

“I’ll sit behind you,” says Justin. “I’ve, um…” He mumbles something, but you catch it.

“It’s okay,” you say. “I can teach you how to ride. You taught me, after all, so I’ll return the favour.”

“Can we get my horse first?” asks Justin. “I want to relearn on him, if you don’t mind.”

“That’s fine,” you say. “You’ll just have to sit behind me on the way. Would you rather ride there or take the trailer to the riding arena?” Justin seemed like he wanted to get his horse sooner rather than later, but he might want to look around before he has to focus on riding.

“Trailer,” says Justin.

The trailer ride is quick, and, when you get there, Justin already seems happier.

“Where did you say he was?” Justin asks. You have to grin at his enthusiasm.

“With Pi the witch,” you say. Justin laughs.

“I’m sorry,” says Justin. “But did you just say that my horse was being looked after by a witch?”

“Yep,” you say, smiling. Justin laughs again. You almost don’t want to wipe the smile off his face, but… “She was supposed to turn your horse into a Dark Horse, but the Soul Riders and I turned her good again and she changed her mind.” 

“Oh,” says Justin, and your heart sinks as his face falls. Just as you knew it would.

“Anyway, let’s not think about that, let’s just get your horse,” you say. Hopefully, relearning how to ride will keep Justin occupied enough that he won’t have time to sink back into those dark thoughts. Fortunately, he does smile at the thought of seeing his horse again.

“Is that my other grandfather?” Justin asks, seeing Jasper in amongst the pumpkins as you ride past the farm.

“Yep. You can talk to him now, or get your horse first,” you say. “Not to influence your decision or anything, but he did build you a jumping course before…”

“Before I went away,” Justin finishes.

“No, no,” you say. “Before you were born.”

“And killed my mum,” says Justin. You stifle a sigh.

“Y’know, most people build nurseries or cribs in preparation for a baby,” you say. “Heh, go big or go home, I guess.”

“Yeah,” says Justin sadly.

“C’mon, Pi lives just up here,” you say. While you were in the trailer, you had the foresight to send Pi a message asking if she would please come to the gates with Justin’s horse. You didn’t specify which gates, however.

“There he is!” says Justin, pointing to the dapple grey horse standing in front of the huge iron gates that open onto what used to be Mayor Klaus’ summer cottage. “C’mon, hurry up!”

“I’m going,” you laugh, and urge your horse into a gallop. In almost no time, you are pulling up to a stop in front of the gates, and Justin is scrambling off the back of your horse and almost tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to his horse.

“I missed you, boy,” says Justin, hugging the horse’s neck like a child would. You smile at his enthusiasm, and at the fact that Justin’s horse is being patient with him. Rather than run away from the overeager enthusiasm, the horse instead simply stands there and nuzzles his owner’s hair.

“I bet he missed you too,” you say.

“Now, um… how do I get up?” Justin asks, standing at his horse’s side and looking in confusion at the saddle.

“I’ll help you,” you say, dismounting your own horse. He’ll probably need someone to help push his rump up and into the saddle. Sure enough, Justin manages to get his foot in the stirrup and his hand on the saddle, but can’t quite manage to haul himself up.

“Thanks,” says Justin. You smile at him.

“You’re welcome,” you say. “Now, there’s an empty paddock up near the winery that we can use.” The one at Goldenleaf Stables is probably closer, but Justin relearning how to ride near where his grandmother lives just seems very nice.

“Um… but how am I supposed to ride there?” Justin asks. Mentally, you facepalm. You hadn’t thought of that.

“Okay, new plan!” you say. “We’ll start right here.”

It’s actually quite easy to teach Justin the basics. His horse is gentle and patient, and you just have to tell him to sit up straight and how to position his legs and hold the reins.

“This is embarrassing,” Justin mutters.

“You’re doing fine,” you say. “You’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

“I’m glad you have faith in me,” says Justin. “But it didn’t turn out so well for the last person.”

“Let’s begin our tour?” you say, trying to distract him. He nods.

“Good idea,” says Justin, and you set off.

“Where would you like to see first?” you ask. “The winery, the castle, Valedale, Firgrove, and Fort Pinta have all changed. And Moorland, but you’ve seen that.”

“What about the new areas?” asks Justin.

“Epona, South Hoof, and Dino Valley,” you list. “But you might want to stop by home first to grab warmer clothing if you want to venture into the valley.”

“Let’s stick close to home,” says Justin.

“Okay, the new places aren’t going anywhere, so let’s start with the winery? We’ll avoid the Baroness if you’re not comfortable with that,” you say.

“I guess my… grandmother would have the funds to give her place a makeover,” says Justin. “That’s so weird to get used to. I have an entire family I never even knew about.”

“One of the Bobcats had a… vaguely similar situation happen to them,” you say. “This girl arrived at the stables and started asking awkward questions.” Justin looks suspicious. “Oh, not like her! I mean, I thought so at first, but she turned out to be Julie’s half-sister. Poor girl.”

“A lot happened while I was gone, huh?” says Justin.

“Yeah,” you say. “There were long periods of inactivity, though, so you’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Especially since the druids are too busy to interrogate you at the moment.”

“Oh, good,” says Justin. “I’m not ready to talk about it just yet. Apart from the fact that I still can’t remember most of it…”

“It’s okay,” you say. “One thing at a time.”

“That’s a nice garden,” says Justin, seeing it in the distance as you ride past the winery gardens on your way to the winery.

“I know,” you say. “I helped restore the winery gardens with Bjorn and Agnetha, the winery gardeners.”

“You did a good job,” says Justin.

“Thank you,” you say, smiling and blushing just a little. It’s nice to have your work appreciated. “There’s also a new seating area in the riding hall on the dressage side of the arena.”

“That’s a nice change,” says Justin. “Is anyone teaching dressage yet?”

“No,” you say. “I think everyone is waiting for Anne to get back so she can teach us properly.”

“So many people on this island going missing,” says Justin.

“She went missing long before you did,” you say. “But yeah, you’re right. There are a lot of people going missing.” Justin seems about to say something else, but then you arrive at the winery.

“Oh, wow,” says Justin, looking around in wide-eyed amazement at just how elegant everything looks. “I only came here a few times before but it used to be so empty and old.”

“Yeah, Bjorn and Agnetha convinced her to let them finish the gardens by putting some of their work up here so she could see what a good job they were doing. As for the renovations, well, there was a funny little incident that happened.” You tell him about the incident with Conny, and Justin laughs louder than he has since he came home.

“Oh, wow,” says Justin, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. “That’s so funny. And she believed that?”

“I know, right?” you say, grinning. “But I do like what she did with the place.”

“The factory looks amazing now,” says Justin. “And the manor, it’s…”

“Maybe one day you’ll get to see the inside,” you say. Justin smiles, and you feel something in your chest loosen.

From the winery, you ride into Valedale. Justin thinks that the little cottages are cute, and he likes the blue windows. But you leave quickly, just in case the druids decide to question him after all.

“Woah,” says Justin as you see Firgrove come into view from up in the mountain pass.

“This area was most recently updated,” you say. “The council decided that the town should reflect its Viking roots more.”

“It looks awesome,” says Justin.

“It really does,” you agree. “Want to see the new areas now or are you tired?” It’s not that you’ve been riding all day, but Justin looks tired. He’s been yawning since you entered the mountain ranges beyond Valedale.

“I should probably head home,” says Justin. “I’m exhausted.” He yawns again, emphasising his point.

“We probably should’ve stopped for a break,” you say. “We can stop here if you want, Firgrove’s café is still the same.”

“Thanks, but I just want to go home,” says Justin.

“I understand,” you say. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

Once you reach Moorland Stables, you put Justin’s horse away while he sits on a hay bale and watches you. It would probably be better for him to learn in a more hands-on approach, but he nearly fell to his knees when he dismounted. He really is tired. So you exaggerate your movements as you remove the horse’s tack and give him a good grooming.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to do that tomorrow,” says Justin.

“I’ll teach you how to tack up tomorrow,” you say. “But for now, I bet your horse is just glad to be home.”

“I missed him,” says Justin. He gets up off his hay bale, and the two of you walk towards the massive Moorland Stable house. Justin is limping slightly from riding all day, and you pity him. He used to love riding.

Once inside, you tell Justin to find a comfy seat while you make the two of you some hot drinks. You know that Justin is tired, but you feel that coffee wouldn’t be right for him at the moment. When he sees you bring out two mugs of hot chocolate, he smiles and takes his mug gratefully, wrapping his palms around it. It isn’t cold outside, but Justin needs the comfort of warmth anyway.

“A lot happened today,” says Justin.

“It must be a lot to take in,” you say, sitting beside him on the large sofa.

“Yeah,” says Justin. “So much has changed!”

“You’ll get used to it,” you say. “When you’re ready, I’ll teach you to jump, and then you can finally ride that jumping course Jasper made for you.”

“Thank you for this,” says Justin, taking a sip of his drink. “And I don’t just mean for the hot chocolate, either. I’d be so confused without you here to help me.”

“I’m sure your dad would be able to help you,” you say.

“I know, but… with you, I don’t feel guilty,” says Justin. “I feel guilty for leaving dad when he needed me the most. For being the reason that-“

“Nope! No self-loathing!” you say, holding a finger against his lips. Justin smiles.

“Alright,” says Justin. He rests his forehead against your shoulder, and now you’re both smiling.


End file.
